


Of Studious Zeal or Love's Delight

by Angelike



Series: It's Not Rocket Science [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Chinese Food, Drabble, Established Relationship, Fluff, Gift Fic, Innuendo, M/M, POV Third Person, Podfic Welcome, Present Tense, Quadruple Drabble, Students, University, flatmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-27
Updated: 2011-01-27
Packaged: 2017-10-15 03:41:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/156671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelike/pseuds/Angelike
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur needs a little incentive to complete his essay... Merlin is happy to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Studious Zeal or Love's Delight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [xaritomene](https://archiveofourown.org/users/xaritomene/gifts).



> This drabble was included in a vgift message on livejournal.

Arthur is—quite literally—banging his head repeatedly against his desktop when Merlin sweeps into their shared flat. After the increasingly crazed Tweets he’d been receiving all day, Merlin isn’t surprised. His boyfriend is a bloody drama queen.

The rhythmic _thump-thump-thump_ of despair continues until Merlin sets a carton of still-warm cream cheese wontons down next to him in offering. One of the first things Merlin had learned (out of sheer desperation) when they had first moved in together was that the key to taming the savage beast comes in little red take-out boxes with the words ‘Imperial Garden’ emblazed in gold on the side; ergo, he had come home armed with enough Chinese food to feed a proverbial army. The wontons smell especially fattening and delicious today—a person would have to be dead to resist that sort of temptation.

Arthur takes the bait.

“You know,” Merlin says, lips twitching as Arthur stuffs a whole wonton into his mouth with an obscene moan, “this is sort of your own fault. It’s not like Professor Drake thrust this essay on you on a whim. It was on the syllabus; you knew it was coming.”

Arthur glares, swallows, and replies with a voice like steel, “No one ever sees the Shelleyan Inquisition coming.” He pops another wonton into his mouth.

“For the love of God, the man writes _poetry_! A little poetry analysis won’t kill you. It’s not rocket science.”

“I’m an _engineering_ student. Give me rocket science any day. At least that makes sense, unlike—” Arthur waves dismissively in the direction of his textbook, which he’d apparently launched across the room at some point before Merlin arrived. “—this nonsense.”

Rolling his eyes, Merlin passes Arthur the carton of Kung Pao Chicken, taking the Chow Mein for himself. “Suck it up, baby, and when you’re done maybe I’ll suck you off.” A thought strikes him—a deliciously evil thought. He grins widely, showing teeth. “Or maybe I’ll give you a special treat. Shall I put on that sexy French maid costume Gwen left here last Halloween and let you fuck me in it? Would you like that?”

Arthur’s pupils dilate. Challenge accepted.

When, five hours later, Arthur tosses a freshly printed essay down on the couch next to Merlin and promptly straddles his lap, Merlin says, “See, even the ‘Shelleyan Inquisition’ is manageable given the right incentive!”, and tilts his head up for a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> The Shelly referred to in this drabble is Percy Bysshe Shelley, one of the major English Romantic poets, and the title is a line from his poem "Hymn to Intellectual Beauty."


End file.
